Honey and Poppyseed "Dormice"

Several weeks ago Caroline Lawrence very kindly sent me a copy of The Secrets of Vesuvius, book 2 of 17 in her 'Roman Mysteries' series.  The Roman Mysteries are works of historical fiction aimed at kids, introducing them to the people and places of the ancient world - they're the kind of books I wish I had growing up!  In my eyes, anything which makes history more accessible to children is great, so this week I'm going to take inspiration from Caroline and create a kid-friendly dish.  These "dormice" are easy to make, very tasty, and most importantly, they're fun.

My inspiration comes from a passage in Caroline's first book, The Thieves of Ostia (used with the permission of the author of course):

'For our next course we're having dormice stuffed with chopped sows' udders,' she announced brightly.

Mordecai and his children froze in horror.

Nubia looked blank.

'Flavia...' said her father with a warning look.

'Just joking,' giggled Flavia. 'My favourite food is really roast chicken.  You do like roast chicken, don't you?'

I love this scene - there's something truly Trimalchian about playing tricks with food!  Of course, like Flavia, we're not really going to be serving up dormice - they're not exactly easy to come by in the shops!

Honey and Poppyseed Dormice

"The dishes for the first course included... some small iron frames shaped like bridges supporting dormice sprinkled with honey and poppy seed." - Petronius, Trimalchio's Feast

Ingredients

• Chicken Thighs & Drumsticks
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Honey
• Poppy Seeds
• Salt
• Pepper

Methods

• Rinse the chicken and cut off all the nasty bits.  Leave the skin on if you want the 'mice' to be nice and crispy!  Once rinsed, pat the chicken dry.
• Set the chicken onto an oiled/greased baking tray, making sure to rub some of the oil into the skin. Season with salt and pepper and place into the oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes at 180 Celsius.

• Just before the chicken is due to come out of the oven, gently heat some honey in a pan, and sprinkle some poppy seeds out onto a plate.

• Whenever it looks ready, roll the cooked chicken around in the honey and then the poppy seeds.  When all is done, pour the remaining honey and poppy seeds over the top of the chicken.
• To make our thighs and drumsticks look more 'mousey' we're going to add some tails - stick a cocktail stick into each bit of chicken, as shown below.  Having the mouse on a stick also makes it much more easy to eat!  The drumsticks are already rather mouse-shaped, so you can leave them be.

Notes

• Ingredient quantities depend entirely on how many mice you mean to make!

Results

Our 'dormice' are sweet and crispy, with a slight crunch coming from the poppy seeds.  In short, they're delicious, and I dare say Flavia would be pleased.  Much more than that, they're seriously simple to make, allowing you to add a taste of ancient Rome to your dinner/party/classroom without the hassle of chopping herbs and grinding spices.

Asparagus Patina

Future historians will no doubt be equal parts amused and confused by the Asparagus Festival, an eight week celebration of the British asparagus season which sees people wear all manner of silly costumes and paint themselves several shades of green.  To celebrate this season I think it's only appropriate to cook up a Roman Asparagus Patina, given that it was the Romans who brought this most delicious of plants to Britain in the first place!

The 'Patina' is rather difficult to explain; all Patinas are egg-based, however some resemble oven-baked custards, whilst others are closer to frittatas and omelettes.  Regardless of how they turn out, they make for very tasty eating all the same.  So, whilst asparagus is at its finest, I urge you to go out, buy some, and get baking.

Asparagus Patina

(Serves 4)

"Make Asparagus Patina as follows: put asparagus tips into a mortar and add pepper, lovage, green coriander, savory and onions.  Dilute this with wine, liquamen, and olive oil.  Add this mixture to a well greased pan, adding some beaten eggs to thicken it if you like.  Cook without boiling the eggs and serve with finely ground pepper." - Apicius, 4.2.6

Ingredients

• 10-15 Asparagus Spears
• 180 ml White Wine
• 25 ml Fish Sauce (Liquamen)
• 25 ml Raisin Wine (Passum)
• 40 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Lovage Seeds
• 1/2 Small Onion
• 2 tbsp Fresh Coriander

Methods

• Using just the tips of the asparagus seems rather wasteful, so we're going to prepare the whole lot.  Set 4 spears to the side for garnishing the dish at the end, and steam what is left for just a few minutes until tender.  Make sure to chop off the woody ends.
• Grind up the peppercorns and lovage and chop up the onions and coriander. Add these, alongside all of the liquids (leaving a bit of oil for later), to a food processor.  The following magical transformation should occur.

• Pour this mixture into an oiled baking dish of some sort.  I am using the base of my tajine, but any oven proof dish should do the trick.  After spreading the mixture out, crack two eggs onto the top and beat them in thoroughly.

• This will take approximately 25 minutes in an oven set to 180 Celsius.
• The dish is cooked when it is omelette-like in consistency.  Use the asparagus spears you left over at the beginning to garnish the dish.  Sprinkle with a touch of pepper and serve straight away.  One similar recipe in Apicius (an Asparagus Patina with the addition of cooked bird embryos - no thanks!) suggests that it can be eaten cold, so refrigerate any leftovers and give that a go if you think you might enjoy it.

Notes

• Rather unusually, this Asparagus Patina recipe seems to suggest that the eggs are optional.  The asparagus patina listed just prior to this one in Apicius (the one with the bird embryos) doesn't!  My explanation is that if you cooked the Asparagus mush without adding the eggs, you'd end up with an omelette-like consistency anyway.

Results

The patina was light, fluffy, and full of subtle flavours.  The initial taste is of the fragrant coriander, followed by the bitter, celery-like taste of the lovage seeds.  As you might expect, we finish on delicious, delicious asparagus.  This is a great and unusual way to cook the plant, and one which would work well as a starter to meals both ancient and modern.  Although you would lose some of the subtle flavours, you could very easily leave out the fish sauce, lovage seeds and raisin wine if needs be.  Enjoy it whilst asparagus is at its finest!

Roman Seafood Sauce

The Greek manner of preparing fish is, as we have learnt, simple yet successful - cook it as you catch it, and if you absolutely have to touch it, stick to a sprinkle of cheese or a pinch of cumin.  Now, it's back to the beautiful complexity of Roman recipes, with lists of ingredients as long as your sword and a journey of flavours as epic as the Illiad.

At first glance, Apicius offers a vast array of seafood sauces, but a closer look reveals that they are all virtually identical!  Common to almost all of them are pepper, mint, lovage, rue, dates, honey, oil, and vinegar.  The Romans clearly liked their fish to be swimming with sweetness.  Let's see how well that works.

Roman Seafood Sauce

(Serves 2 as main, or several as a starter)

"Pepper, Lovage, Celery Seed, Mint, Rue, Figdate or Date Syrup, Honey, Vinegar, Wine.  Also suitable for sardines." - Apicius, ix.10.5

Ingredients

This is without the mint, and plus soap
(which you probably shouldn't use)

• 2 Mackerel Fillets
• Small Handful Fresh Mint
• 1/2 tsp Lovage Seeds (or Celery Seed)
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Rue
• 1 tbsp Date Paste
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 2 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 50 ml White Wine

Methods

• Add the rue, lovage and pepper to a dry frying pan and heat them until they start to give off an aroma.  At this point, remove them and grind them up.
• Combine all the liquids, herbs and spices in a food processor and let loose.  If you wish to use a mortar and pestle, make sure to chop the mint up first.

• This is what you're going to marinate the fish in for a few hours, so once you have prepared the fish fillets, combine everything together in a shallow casserole dish.  This goes into the fridge for a couple of hours.

• I cooked the fish, sauce and all, in an earthenware dish on a gas hob for around 25 minutes.  If you want, you can place the whole lot in an oven at 180 Celsius for 20 minutes to achieve the same effect.  Grainger suggests removing the fish from the marinade, cooking it on a griddle, then heating and pouring over some of the sauce.

Notes

• The recipe isn't much of a recipe, but rather a list of ingredients.
• I chose not to use both celery seed and lovage, because their flavours are remarkably similar.  Instead, I chose to use more of just one, rather than a little of each.
• As ever, I advise you to use caution with the rue - if in doubt, leave it out!

Results

I couldn't wait to try this, so dropped the knife and fork and tucked straight in with hands and fingers.  It was beautiful, sharing that same 'tangy-sweetness' common to so much Roman cooking.  The fish was delicate and soft and had soaked up a lot of sweetness from the honey and date paste.  The initial taste came from the sharpness of the vinegar and wine, but was soon tempered by the fragrance of the mint.  This fish was surprisingly rich in comparison to the cheesy-fish of the Greeks, which is why I reckon it would do two people as a main - I would be inclined to serve it as a starter for several people instead.  Overall, I think that my favourite ancient fish recipe is last week's ancient Greek Mackerel with Cumin, Cheese, and Oil, but it's up to you to decide which you prefer.

Mackerel with Cumin, Cheese, and Oil

Last week we opened up a whole new world of possibility when we discovered that you can indeed cook fish and cheese together to good effect.  This week we're going to try and see just how good that combination can be.

The original recipe calls for bream from Carthage or Byzantium, but if bream is unavailable to you, or if your local Byzantine merchant can't get his hands on any, then feel free to settle for another type of fish as I have.  It also calls for a clay oven, which, unless you're an experimental archaeologist, I'm guessing you won't have (in fact, very few Romans had them as well!).

Mackerel with Cumin, Cheese, and Oil

(Serves 1 as main, or several as a starter)

"When you're by the sea at Carthage, bake some bream after washing it well.  You'll find great big bream in Byzantium too, their bodies the size of round shields!  Work with the fish whole.  Once you have coated the fish with cheese and oil, hang it up in a hot clay oven and bake it through.  Once done, sprinkle with cumin and salt, and drench it with divine grey-green oil." - Archestratus fr. 13, as recorded in Athenaeus, Deipnosophistae, 320b-c

Ingredients

• 1 Fresh Mackerel (or Fillets) 
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
• Some Hard Italian Cheese (Gran Padano, Parmesan, Pecorino Romano)
• 4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Methods

• The recipe does specifically say to use the whole fish, but you don't have to if it's too much hassle.  If, like me, you have chosen to use a whole fish, prepare it accordingly by following the advice in this video.  With the head chopped off, spine removed, and fish laid out flat, it's on to the next step.
• Grate as much cheese as you think it might take to cover the whole fish.  You're supposed to cover it on both sides, but feel free to just cover the top if it is easier.  Mix this cheese with 3 tbsp of the olive oil, creating a paste.  Spread this on the fish.

• Lay out some parchment paper on a baking tray, and set the fish onto this.  If you don't have parchment paper, brush the tray with olive oil.  Place this into an oven preheated to 180 Celsius.
• Whilst the fish is in the oven, toast the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan until they start to give off an aroma.  Grind them up and mix with the salt.  If it's easier, use pre-ground cumin.
• After 20 minutes in the oven, your fish should be wonderfully cooked.  Take it out and sprinkle with the cumin/salt mixture; a big pinch should do it.  Drizzle with the remaining spoonful of olive oil, and serve it up to your hungry guests.

Results

This has quickly catapulted its way to the top of the ancient fish dish pile, and I reckon it might just be one of my favourite ancient recipes so far.  Last week we learnt that fish and cheese can work well, but on the whole it was just that bit too rich and oily.  The kick of the cumin sees to that nicely, imparting a wonderful fragrance and spiciness.  If ever you want an example of how fish and cheese can work well, give this recipe a go.

Baked Mackerel and Cheese

The kitchen can be a bit hectic whilst cooking four fishy recipes at once, so I maybe possibly forgot to take a proper picture of this dish.  Still, whilst the above snap might not be the best looking, you can see enough to know that this week, we're drowning our mackerel in cheese.

Listen!  Do you hear that?  That's the sound of millions of Italians gasping in horror!  And what's that? Why, it's the chef from Philemon's Soldier complaining once more about fish 'drugged senseless with cheese'.  See, for some reason, fish and cheese just isn't done - cookbooks warn against it, and restaurants never offer it.  Thus, it is with some hesitancy that I approach this week's recipe.  Should we be worried?  Did the fish-lovers of ancient Athens really have it all wrong?  There's only one way to find out.

Baked Mackerel and Cheese

(Serves 1 as a main, or several as a starter)

"Cook:  Do you know how to cook mackerel?

Slave: I would if you'd just tell me!

Cook: Cut out the gills, wash it, chop off the fins and spines, then split it in half and spread it out nicely.  Whip it well with silphium, then cover it in cheese, salt, and marjoram."

-Alexis 138, as recorded in Athenaeus, Deipnosophistae, 322c-d

Ingredients

• 1 Fresh Mackerel (or Un-Smoked Mackerel Fillets)
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Asafoetida
• Some Hard Italian Cheese (Gran Padano, Parmesan, Pecorino Romano)
• Fresh or Dried Marjoram or Rosemary

Methods

• For this dish it's best to use the whole fish, skin and all, rather than just the fillets.  You want to chop the head off, take out the spine, and lay the fish out flat, skin side down.  For an idea of how to handle mackerel, please watch this video.
• Sprinkle the salt and asafoetida all over the fish.
• Grate as much cheese as is needed to cover the little critter.  Roughly mix this cheese with whatever herbs you've decided to use, and set atop the fish.

• Onto a greased baking tray, and into a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes at 180 Celsius.  Job done!

Results

To all those waiting with baited breath, scared that the cheese would overpower the fish, you can relax.  Your fears about combining these two ingredients were, in this case at least, unfounded.  It was still very apparent that this was mackerel we were eating, the fishiness not lost to the pungency of the asafoetida and cheese.  All in all it tasted nice, but just nice - this isn't something to write home about.  I think part of the reason was that the dried herbs got lost somewhere along the way, when really they should have been there to cut through the oiliness of the whole affair.  For future efforts I would be inclined to use fresh rosemary instead. Baked Mackerel and Cheese is certainly worth a try, if only the once.

Mackerel in a Coriander Crust

The Podcast History recently set sail across the sea and arrived on the shores of ancient Greece, so to celebrate, I'm going to cook up a seafood feast.  Fish was something which the Ancient Greeks loved.  For some of them, when it comes to fish, simplicity is key.  A chef in Philemon's Soldier says:

"How tender was the fish before me!  What a dish I made of it!  Not drugged senseless with cheese, nor window-boxed with dandifying herbs, it emerged from the oven as naked as the day it was born." - Philemon, The Soldier, fr. 82

Whilst in Morocco, I had the chance to eat fish (lots of fish!) freshly caught, prepared, and grilled in front of me, and it was divine!  Philemon's chef has it right - simplicity works - but it's hardly very exciting for you if I just throw a kipper under the grill.  So, even though this first recipe has some of those 'dandifying herbs' we're told to avoid, and even though it's an Apician recipe, it is still remarkably simple, and would have appealed to the simple tastes of the chef above.

Mackerel in a Coriander Crust

(Serves 1 as a main, or several as a starter)

"Carefully prepare the fish.  In a mortar and pestle, crush up some coriander seeds and salt, making sure to mix them well.  Roll the fish around in this mixture, cover it, and bake it in the oven.  When it's ready, sprinkle it with a strong vinegar and serve." - Apicius, 10.1.4

Ingredients

• 1 Fresh Mackerel (or Un-Smoked Mackerel Fillets)
• 50g Coriander Seeds
• 1 tbsp Salt
• White Wine Vinegar

Methods

• If you're using a whole mackerel, you need to fillet it.  Here's a video showing you how to do just that.  This can be quite tricky, so feel free to have a fish-monger do it for you, or just buy pre-cut mackerel fillets instead.
• Next, grind up the coriander seeds and the salt - I used my trusty mortar and pestle to do this.  Make sure everything is well mixed together.
• Pat the fish dry and coat it in this mixture - just like bread-crumbing a fish.  I didn't use quite enough when I was preparing mine, so use a bit more than in the picture below.

• Place the fillets on an oiled baking tray and pop this in the oven at 180 Celsius for 15-20 minutes.
• Once it comes out of the oven, pour a little white wine vinegar over each fillet to moisten it.  After that, dig in and enjoy.

Results

Superbly simple to prepare, and immensely enjoyable to eat.  Coriander seed has a delicious citrusy taste, which shines through wonderfully.  It also helps to cut through the oiliness of the fish, making this dish feel very light and fresh.  Adding vinegar whilst serving adds a slight tang, but doesn't overwhelm the coriander flavours.

Something Fishy This Way Comes

After a week of waxing lyrical about 'Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum', it's back to business, or rather back to the kitchen.  To coincide with the Podcast History of the World's introduction to the Greeks, in response to several requests on Twitter, Facebook, and via email, and simply because it's about time, we're going to spend the next month cooking up some fish!  The first three recipes are Greek, prepared with the frugality characteristic of their cuisine.  Each dish kicks it up a notch, adding a little bit more and a little bit more, until we come to our final fishy feast, which is Roman.  So far we've only encountered fish fermented and poured from a bottle - we know the ancients loved that, but what did they make of the real thing?

"What other craft gets youthful lips burning, gets their fingers fumbling, has their lungs gasping for air, in their haste to swallow?  And isn't it only when it's well-supplied with fish that the agora brings about liaisons?" - Anaxandrides, Odysseus, fr. 34 K-A

What we learn from Anaxandrides, who describes the fish-monger and his art in almost sexual terms, is that it is fish which brings people to the market, and fish which gets them excited.  Given that the Greeks populated rocky outcrops and rugged islands, it shouldn't be surprising that many of them relied on the sea for food, and the reverence with which they speak about fish becomes all the more understandable.  Fish pervades not just Greek cuisine, but Greek literature and language too.  To get a sense of just how much this is true, I implore you to pick up a copy of James Davidson's excellent 'Courtesans and Fishcakes', a book which explores 'the consuming passions of classical Athens'.

Fish Mosaic from Pompeii
©SANP

Many modern commentators like to stress that Rome wasn't quite so taken with fish as the Greeks; sometimes they even paint a picture of Romans turning their noses up at seafood!  Quite honestly, I am not sure where this attitude stems from, as Apicius alone has close to one hundred seafood recipes.  However, since Rome had plenty of fertile fields (in contrast to the mountainous, rocky Greek countryside), it wasn't quite so reliant on the sea as the Greeks were.  Thus, at Roman dinner parties, fish is usually served as an appetizer, with meats such as pork taking centre stage.  Still, you only have to look at the mosaic above to know that the Romans, too, were rather fond of the fishies.  Hopefully you will be too!